pathophysiology of inflammation videos

animations of the inflammatory response

acute inflammation

The cardinal signs of acute inflammation are depicted in this cartoon. They are redness (rubor), warmth (calor), swelling (tumour), and pain (dolor). Loss of function (functio laesa) is also often included in this list of signs.

The pathophysiological basis and consequences of fever is described in this article.

This image of cellulitis clearly shows the clinical signs of redness and swelling of the left leg compared with the right. If you could examine this leg you would be able to feel that it was warm to the touch, and the patient would be able to tell you that it was painful to touch, and walk.

Other images of acutely inflamed tissues/ structures can be found here:

Neutrophils and macrophages are phagocytes - they can ingest microbes by an active process called phagocytosis (as depicted in the 'Epic Bob' video).

Myeloid cells - including neutrophils and monocytes/macrophages - can also participate in the inflammatory process by activation of so-called inflammasomes. Interesting articles about inflammasomes include:

An interesting article on the possible link between inflammation and venous thrombosis can be found here (Piazza G, Ridker PM. Is venous thromboembolism a chronic inflammatory disease? Clinical Chemistry DOI: 10.1373/clinchem.2014.234088)

inflammation and the lungs

Inflammation in the lungs causing acute pneumonitis, and pneumonia, can follow breathing-in oral, or gastric content (and is called aspiration pneumonitis/ pneumonia).

Microscopic images of aspiration pneumonia can be found here and here. An interesting article on this topic can be found here (DiBardino DM, Wunderink RG. Aspiration pneumonia: a review of modern trends. Journal of Critical Care 2015; 30:40-48).

You might also find the following article interesting: Alverdy J, Krezalek MA. Collapse of the microbiome, emergence of the pathobiome, and the immunopathology of sepsis. Critical Care Medicine 2017; 45:337-347. The authors are critical of the term 'sepsis' (and advocate a new term, nonresolving organ dysfunction syndrome - nRODs) as well as emphasise emerging research findings relating to the role of the microbiome (and pathobiome) in critical illness.